2014 March - Pro Football Rumors

Texans Re-Sign Ricky Sapp

March 4th, 2014 at 5:49pm CST by Zachary Links

The Texans announced that they have re-signed outside linebacker Ricky Sapp. Financial terms of the contract are not yet known for the restricted free agent.

Sapp, 27, has bounced around a bit since his entry to the league in 2010. After being selected in the fifth round by the Eagles, the Clemson product never saw a game for Philadelphia thanks to knee troubles and was waived in 2011. Following a time with the Jets’ taxi squad, Sapp saw time in nine Texans games in 2013, primarily at linebacker and on special teams. While Sapp has yet to see major success on Sundays, he was a productive defensive lineman at Clemson and was considered one of the very best recruits in the nation coming out of high school.

Bengals Tender Hawkins, Rey, Sanzenbacher

March 4th, 2014 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bengals have tendered contracts to their three restricted free agents, reports Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link). According to Pelissero, wide receiver Andrew Hawkins, linebacker Vincent Rey, and wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher all received the lowest of the three possible RFA tenders from the Bengals, meaning their one-year offers are worth $1.431MM.

All three players could now choose to accept their respective contract tenders and play for the Bengals on a one-year, $1.431MM contract in 2014. They could also elect to sign an offer sheet with another suitor in free agency next week, though the Bengals will have the right to match any offer. Because Hawkins, Rey, and Sanzenbacher were all undrafted, Cincinnati wouldn’t be eligible for any compensatory picks if the club’s RFAs sign elsewhere.

Jason Snelling Retires

March 4th, 2014 at 4:29pm CST by Luke Adams

Longtime Falcons running back Jason Snelling has decided to retire, the team announced today in a press release. Snelling cited the desire to spend more time with his family as the primary reason for ending his NFL playing career.

“I have decided to retire after seven years in the NFL to spend time with my family,” Snelling said in a statement. “I want to thank Mr. [Arthur] Blank, [GM] Thomas Dimitroff and head coach Mike Smith for providing me the opportunity to play for the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons are a first class organization run by a first class owner and I am grateful that I got to spend my entire career in Atlanta.”

Snelling, who had one year remaining on his contract, spent all seven seasons of his NFL career with the Falcons after being selected by the team in the seventh round of the 2007 draft. The 30-year-old played at halfback and fullback for the team, logging 363 total carries over the course of 96 games for 1,420 rushing yards and 17 total touchdowns (rushing and receiving). His best season came in 2009, when he had a brief run as the team’s feature back and recorded 613 rushing yards and four rushing TDs.

With the retirement, the Falcons will clear Snelling’s $1.375MM base salary from their books for 2014, leaving $358K in dead money.

Jared Allen To Test Open Market

March 4th, 2014 at 3:41pm CST by Luke Adams

He’s a 10-year veteran and a five-time Pro Bowler, but Jared Allen has never fully experienced free agency as an unrestricted FA, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes. That streak will come to an end this next week. According to agent Ken Harris, Allen will hit the open market “to see what 32 teams have to offer” (Twitter links via Rapoport).

Allen, 31, won’t see the kind of payday this year that he would have in his prime, but the star pass rusher remains productive and durable, recording 11.5 sacks last season for the Vikings. It was the sixth straight year in which he’d started all 16 regular season contests for the team, and the seventh consecutive season he’d notched 11 or more sacks.

Of course, just because Allen will test that market, it doesn’t mean that his days in Minnesota are over. Harris said last month that he had a “productive” meeting with the Vikings at the combine, and tells Rapoport that the club remains in the mix. As for other potential suitors, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com recently suggested the Raiders, with plenty of cap space and a need for an edge rusher, might be a good fit for the veteran defensive end.

Chargers Cut Johnny Patrick

March 4th, 2014 at 3:13pm CST by Luke Adams

In addition to releasing fullback Le’Ron McClain and cornerback Derek Cox, the Chargers have also cut cornerback Johnny Patrick, the club announced today (Twitter link via Ricky Henne of Chargers.com).

Patrick, 25, was drafted by the Saints in the third round of the 2011 draft and spent two seasons with the club before being cut and claimed off waivers by the Chargers. The 25-year-old started four games for San Diego last season and appeared in 13 overall contests, recording 38 tackles, 1.5 sacks, an interception, and a negative overall grade (-7.6), according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics.

The cap savings for the Chargers will be minimal, as Patrick had been slated to earn the minimum salary, plus a $55K workout bonus.

Chargers Release Derek Cox

March 4th, 2014 at 3:08pm CST by Luke Adams

3:08pm: Cox has officially been released, the Chargers announced today (Twitter link via Ricky Henne of Chargers.com).

1:46pm: The Chargers have informed cornerback Derek Cox they plan to release him, according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (via Twitter). It’s the second cap-clearing move of the day for the Chargers, who are also parting ways with fullback Le’Ron McClain.

Cox, who signed a lucrative multiyear contract a year ago with the Chargers, will hit the market again just one year into the four-year deal. Cox’s $4.25MM base salary for 2014 was set to become guaranteed later this month, so San Diego avoids having to pay that figure. However, with three years’ worth of prorated bonus money accelerating onto this year’s cap, the move will leave $3.9MM in dead money on the Chargers’ books for 2014, creating just $1.65MM in cap savings.

After a solid contract year with the Jaguars in 2012, Cox didn’t play well in San Diego this past season, ranking 104th among 110 qualified cornerbacks, according to Pro Football Focus’ grades. The 27-year-old lost his starting job during the season’s second half, and will be looking to be bounce back on a new team in 2014. As an NFL veteran, Cox won’t have to clear waivers, so he’ll immediately be eligible to sign elsewhere.

FA Rumors: Tatupu, Graham, Shaughnessy

March 4th, 2014 at 3:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Former Seahawks linebacker and three-time Pro Bowler Lofa Tatupu is working out today for the Broncos, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). Knee and pectoral injuries derailed the career of Tatupu, who hasn’t played a regular season game since 2010, but he’s still just 31 years old, so a comeback isn’t out of the question. The former All-Pro linebacker is an unrestricted free agent right now, but the rest of the players in this roundup will have to wait another week before getting the chance to hit the open market. Let’s dive in and check out the latest….

While Jimmy Graham will have the ability to field offers from suitors in free agency, the franchise tag will limit his options. In any case, Saints GM Mickey Loomis is confident that his club will find a way to reach a long-term deal with the star tight end, as he said today on SiriusXM NFL Radio (link via Pro Football Talk). “I had hoped and I’m sure he had hoped we’d come to some conclusion on a longer-term deal before this,” Loomis said. “But we haven’t yet, and hopefully we will…. We’ll just let it play out, and I’m sure we’ll get something resolved.”
The Cardinals are in talks with Matt Shaughnessy‘s agent Rick Rosa in hopes of signing the free agent DE/LB to a new deal, according to Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. “They are actively trying to re-sign him,” Rosa said. “He wants to be there, so we’ll see how it goes.”
Although cornerback Alterraun Verner acknowledges that he loves Tennessee and his Titans teammates, he sounds lukewarm on the idea of giving the club a “hometown discount” in free agency, as Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean writes.
The Broncos have the cap room in 2014 to bring back prospective free agent Eric Decker, but future obligations to Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas will make the team wary about investing too heavily in Decker, says Mike Klis of the Denver Post, who spoke to the wide receiver about his impending free agency.

Redskins Cut Carriker, Rocca, Three Others

March 4th, 2014 at 2:34pm CST by Luke Adams

The Redskins have released defensive lineman Adam Carriker and punter Sav Rocca, the team announced today (via Twitter). In addition to parting ways with those two veterans, the club has also cut tight end Richard Quinn and running backs Jawan Jamison and Davin Meggett.

Carriker, who signed a four-year deal with the Redskins in March of 2012, has missed the majority of the last two seasons due to knee and quadriceps issues. He had a cap number of about $6.51MM for the coming season, which will be reduced to $3.52MM in dead money, creating $2.99MM in cap savings for Washington. Rocca, the Redskins’ punter for the last three season, would have seen his base salary bumped up to $1.2MM, but instead the club will save that amount in cash and cap space.

Carriker expressed optimism last week about returning to the field in 2014, and was hopeful the Redskins would give him a chance. If the team had shared that optimism, perhaps a restructure or pay cut would’ve been a possibility. However, it looks like the 29-year-old will have to sign elsewhere to have a chance at a comeback in ’14.

As for the other three players cut by the Redskins, Quinn, Jamison, and Meggett were all on minimum-salary contracts and weren’t expected to be contributors to the club in 2014.

Raiders Re-Sign Khalif Barnes

March 4th, 2014 at 2:04pm CST by Luke Adams

MARCH 4: Barnes’ one-year contract includes a $900K base salary, a $100K signing bonus, $100K in workout and roster bonuses, and $650K in incentives, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter).

FEBRUARY 28: The Raiders have re-signed offensive lineman Khalif Barnes, according to Fallon Smith of CSN Bay Area (Twitter link). Barnes’ new contract will be another one-year pact, according to Scott Bair of CSN Bay Area (Twitter link). The exact value isn’t known yet, but it’ll be a raise on last year’s $1.5MM salary.

Barnes, 31, was the Raiders’ starting right tackle for two seasons before he shifted to left tackle last season to replace the injured Jared Veldheer. It’s not clear yet which spot on the line he’ll occupy in 2014, since Veldheer is a free agent, and the team could make other moves in free agency or the draft. But moving inside is a possibility — Barnes finished last season at left guard when Veldheer returned.

While Barnes has started 103 of his 123 career NFL contests, he has consistently graded as a below-average overall tackle, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics. That’s due mostly to poor scores as a run blocker, since his grades as a pass blocker are typically positive.

Panthers Sign Graham Gano To Four-Year Deal

March 4th, 2014 at 1:56pm CST by Luke Adams

MARCH 4: Gano’s contract included a $3MM signing bonus and $3.95MM in guaranteed money, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. It’ll count as $1.75MM against the cap in 2014, and includes escalators for the final three years.

FEBRUARY 28: The Panthers have re-signed kicker Graham Gano to a four-year contract, the club announced today in a press release. Gano’s deal, which will keep the kicker under team control through the 2017 season, is worth $12.4MM and could max out at $13MM, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link).

“The special teams unit was a large part of our success last year, and we are excited to keep Graham as a part of our team,” Panthers head coach Ron Rivera said in a statement. “Graham has shown range and accuracy in his field goal kicking, and his strong leg has been a weapon for us on kickoffs.”

Gano, 26, had his best NFL season in 2013, converting 24 of 27 field goals for the Panthers, as well as all 42 extra-point tries. He was also in perfect in six attempts from 50+ yards, and ranked second in kickoff effectiveness, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Based on his ’13 success, I’d expect Gano’s new deal to pay him something in the neighborhood of $2-3MM per year.

Gano’s signing means one fewer option on the market for teams on the lookout for kicking help. Steven Hauschka, Jay Feely, Phil Dawson, Adam Vinatieri, and Josh Brown are among the other potential free agents who will hit the open market on March 11 if they haven’t re-signed with their respective clubs.